Grotius' Universe: Divine Law and a Quest for Harmony

In an era of international tensions and chaotic personal relations, it is salutary to be introduced to or reacquainted with the work of Dutch jurist and theologian Hugo Grotius, who flourished in the first half of the similarly chaotic seventeenth century. Grotius’ work stresses the nature of man as well as the relationship of man to his fellow man, of nations to the universe, and of all to the Creator. To understand the relationship between the macrocosm and microcosm, man must use reason to define his actions, study history to discern creative patterns, and cultivate faith to experience harmony and engage in positive action. “This whole universe makes but one world,” Grotius wrote, “in which there is but one thing that exceeds the rest in beauty, that is, the sun; and in every man there is but one thing that governs, that is, the mind.”